


Everyone Can See Me Burning

by nnaolona



Series: Born To Be Electric [1]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Powers, Archie and Kevin are roomates, Asexual Jughead Jones, Bisexual Archie Andrews, Demiromantic Jughead Jones, M/M, Riverdale is where they send the kids with powers, Slow Burn, Sweet Pea and Jughead are roommates, late-night talks under the stars, mentions of Polly and JB and Jason, mentions of the parents, the classic "trauma gives you power" AU, the powers are really random, they all hate their parents
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:01:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22129903
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nnaolona/pseuds/nnaolona
Summary: That’s what it’s called. The thing that gives you power. It’s pretty logical, really. You live something traumatic, you get powers. Trauma. Simple. Like what had happened. Archie’s dad got shot, and since then, Archie was unbreakable. No one had noticed, not even him, until he fell from his rooftop when fixing some tiles, and somehow had nothing.
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones
Series: Born To Be Electric [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1592953
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Everyone Can See Me Burning

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Haven't You Noticed (I'm A Star)?" from Steven Universe.

Archie finds himself at Pop’s, once again, in a booth with his dad. He’s talking, Archie can see his lips moving, but he can’t here what he says. Something’s wrong. He doesn’t know what. He has a feeling, like he’s already lived that moment thousands of times, and he knows it doesn’t end well. something’s wrong. His heart is heavy, the room is too hot, his vision is blurry. Something’s going to happen. There’s a feeling growing inside of his stomach, it’s making it hard to breathe.

Until it’s too much and Archie stands up abruptly. He stands there for a second, and nothing happens.

“Arch?” his dad calls.

Another second passes. Nothing happens. Archie’s head is spinning.

“Toilets,” he mutters, and shakily makes his way to the restrooms. He leans again the sink and tries to take a deep breath. He splashes his face with water. The world spins a tiny bit less. Maybe he’s wrong, maybe nothing’s wrong. He breathes three more time in front of the mirror before heading back to the dining area.

The doors open and someone walks in, a hood covering their faces, something that looked awfully like a gun in his hand. He yelled at Pop’s, but Archie was deaf once again. It wasn’t going to end well, he knew it. His dad got up and went towards the hooded man, holding his hands up. Archie’s eyes meet the hooded man’s. And then…

BANG.

Archie jolted awake. It was dark, and he was breathing way too fast. It took him a moment to step out of his dream and into the present. He was in his room, he was okay. Kevin was sleeping on the other side of the room, Archie could hear him breathing. His dad was safe, he’s back home, he’s healed, and Vegas is watching over him.

Still, Archie couldn’t forget that look… These eyes… He saw them every time he closed his eyes.

Archie fought to push back his sheets and got up. He went to the bathroom, peed, washes his hands, put some water on his face and drank.

When he came out, Kevin was awake, sitting on his bed, rubbing his eyes.

“What time is it?” he asked sleepily, and Archie shrugged. Kevin ended up looking at his alarm clock and groaned. “You okay? They’re a lot of… negative… whatever,” Kevin asksed with a vague hand gesture.

“Yeah, it’s nothing, just...” Archie answered. “Nightmares.”

“About the trauma?” Kevin asked and Archie nods.

That’s what it’s called. The thing that gives you power. It’s pretty logical, really. You live something traumatic, you get powers. Trauma. Simple. Like what had happened. Archie’s dad got shot, and since then, Archie was unbreakable. No one had noticed, not even him, until he fell from his rooftop when fixing some tiles, and somehow had nothing.

They started to be suspicious, after that, and did some testing. Trying to cut through his skin, to break his bones. Nothing. It had been so awful. Being in that close room with people hovering all around him, with blades and other instruments, and the feeling of the blades slipping on his skin. It still made him sick.

When he got home that day, a bit more than a month ago, he had tried to cut his nails, and it had worked. That was a relief. He tried cutting some of his hair, and that worked too. It had made him feel slightly better.

And then he got a call from the school, the Riverdale Institute for whatever whatever. He had powers, they said, so he should join their school in order to learn to control them. At first he had refused. He didn’t want to leave his home, his dad, his dog. Especially not after what had happened. Then his dad got out of the hospital, and some men from the school came to make it clear that Archie had no choice.

And so here he was. He had arrived a couple weeks before, and it had been a very lonely couple of weeks. He had barely talked to his roommate, or to anyone. He was the new kid. Every group was already created. That was a new feeling for Archie. Not fitting in. He had always lived in the same small town where everyone knew each other, where he was one of the star football player, where he had tons of friends and a few girls he could date if he wanted too. And here, well… the longer talk he had had been with a cactus, two days before.

His breathing was getting steadier and steadier, his mind was clearing, thoughts running away from him. Everything was okay. His das was safe at home, Vegas with him, he would make friends here, he always did, those eyes couldn’t get him here, he was safe in his dorm room with Kevin.

Archie looked up to Kevin. He had overheard some students talk about his power. Positive vibes, they had called it. Archie had found that ridiculous. But he got what they had meant now. Bad thought, negative thought, all pushed aside, and only good, positive, hopeful ones allowed.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Yeah, sorry, all the bad… stuff was choking me,” Kevin explained.

It made Archie smile that even he didn’t know how to call it. And it relieved him that he hadn’t called it “bad vibes” because that sounded awfully ridiculous.

They sat on their respective bed for a while, staring at nothing, until it was clear none of them was getting back to sleep.

“So,” Kevin started. “You play guitar, right?”

Archie nodded.

“That’s cool.”

It sounded like he was only trying to fill in the silence. It was awkward. Archie decided to play the game.

“Yeah, I just started this summer. ‘M not very good yet.”

“Why so late?” Kevin asked.

“I don’t know, I just thought it would be nice to have some… instrumentation?, um for my songs.” Might as well be honest.

“You write songs?” Kevin exclaimed, and when Archie confirmed, he added: “You should talk to Josie. She writes songs too. And sings. We have a music club, you know.”

Archie did now. He had seen some posters in some hall. He had considered joining for a moment, but found he wasn’t sure he was ready to share his music with anyone, except maybe with Luke and Mary, his best friends at home. But it’s nice of Kevin to ask.

It’s silent for a minute, and it should be awkward, but it’s not, and he can’t even miss his friends or his dad or his dog, because Kevin’s power still active.

“So… how’s your life back home?” Kevin questioned.

“Uh, it’s fine, I liked it, and then…” He shrugs and does a thing with his hand.

Kevin nodded, like he understood. Which he probably did. Archie decided on telling him a bit more. So he talks a bit about his dad and Vegas, Luke and Mary, and all the others, and football. Kevin listened and laughed and made some remarks and Archie laughed.

When he went back to sleep, Archie wondered if that made them friends now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment?


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